Building a new home can be both an exciting but stressful time - particularly when it comes to working to a budget. To keep costs down, you may be tempted to leave certain features out that don’t seem necessary right now. But the truth is, these could be aspects of your home that provide it with added value when it comes time to selling up.  

So what should you not leave out of your design?  Here's our top 6 things that should be considered carefully for every new build...

Opt for good insulation

Insulation is key for creating the right temperature inside a home, so it is definitely something you should go above and behind the minimum requirements of.

People want to know they won’t have to spend a lot of money on heating or cooling a home, but of course upgrading insulation is expensive to do after a build, so if it is already done and dusted - you’ll certainly have potential buyers seeing the real value of good foresight (and the added bonus is you get a comfortable house to live in too!)

Tiles are tops for the bathroom

When it comes to resale value, having tiles in a bathroom is a small, but beneficial feature in a property. They are seen as a more expensive option, which will translate well when it comes to selling your home in the future. Tiles are also extremely durable, which equals low maintenance!  

This also goes for all flooring/surfaces - the more hard wearing, the less worry you will have with maintenance, and the better it will look for longer (for example, stain-resistant carpet and hardwood.)   

Read more: Six secrets of home-staging, so you can do-it-yourself 

Make sure you install the right cables

Technology is changing at a rate of knots, so if you can be forward-thinking when it comes to what appliances will need in the next five to 10 years, then you could very well create a home worthy of a Jetson name tag.

Think power cables, WiFi, docking stations and anything else a technology expert/electrician may be able to recommend.

Allow for a second bathroom - always

The value of a house can live or die when it comes to bathrooms (and the kitchen, but we’ll get to that) so never underestimate the importance of making sure the home you build has not one, but two bathrooms.

Do everything you can to squeeze it into the budget, because it will certainly pay off in the long run.

Don’t scrimp on the kitchen

As mentioned briefly above, the kitchen is one of the most important rooms of the house and you should allow a significant portion of the budget to ensure it is high-spec. This includes the materials used, appliances installed and also the practicality of using the kitchen (is it easy to move around in? Is there plenty of bench space? A good amount of storage?)

These are all crucial aspects to get right the first time, otherwise when the time comes to sell, potential buyers may only think about how expensive it will be to renovate.   

Find the right flow inside and out

It may be a bit of a cliche to talk about the ‘flow’ of a house - but the reality is, almost no one likes a home that has lots of small pokey spaces that get in the way of movement. People enjoy be able to move from one space to another, particularly the living, dining and kitchen, without too many obstacles/walls in the way.

You should also pay attention to outdoor areas too, and how to access them from the indoors. Kiwis love to entertain in the summer, and if the living connects effortlessly to a deck or patio - it will appeal to a wide range of buyers.

Need to sell your home before getting a new build underway? Check out our free guide...